Living Well with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Living Well with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) that contains carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in grains (bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and potatoes), vegetables, fruits, most snack foods (like chips, cookies, and candy), and sweet drinks like juice. If you have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), take charge of your health by learning all you can about it. You can start right here by learning about healthier habits and routines. You also can check out more information in the Body section of girlshealth.gov under What is PCOS?. You ll find everything from medications to getting rid of unwanted hair. If you take smart steps to cope with PCOS, you ll feel better physically, but chances are you also will feel pretty proud of yourself for taking good care of your body and your future. Eating right and exercising are two terrific ways to manage your PCOS. They can lower your blood sugar to healthier levels, help get your hormones balanced, reduce your risk of developing other health problems, and help you lose weight. And if you re overweight, losing even 10 percent of your current weight can help get abnormal periods back on track. Eating Right with PCOS Many young women with PCOS are overweight and have trouble losing weight. This is because young women with PCOS often have higher levels of the hormone insulin in their blood. Insulin s main job is to control blood sugar, but it also can make your body store fat. Eating right can help you control your insulin, help you feel better, keep your heart healthy, lower your risk of getting diabetes, and help you lose weight. Losing even a small amount of weight if you are overweight can improve PCOS symptoms. What do I need to know about insulin and carbohydrates? The insulin level in your blood goes up after you eat. It goes up the most after you eat or drink something Are all carbohydrates the same? No. If you eat two foods that have the same amount of carbohydrate, they may have a different effect on your insulin level. This effect has a lot to do with the type of carbohydrate the food has. Carbohydrate foods with fiber are usually the best if you are trying to keep your insulin level down. Carbohydrate foods with a lot of sugar cause insulin levels to go up and make you hungry sooner. Try to choose high-fiber, low-sugar carbohydrate foods most of the time. Instead of: Choose: Sweetened juice, canned fruit in heavy syrup, or sweetened applesauce Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas Refined grains made with white flour like white bread, white pasta, and white rice Sugary cereals and sweetened grains like cereal bars, breakfast pastries, and donuts Sugary drinks like soda or juice Sugary foods like cookies, cakes, and candy Fresh fruits or canned/ frozen fruit with no sugar added or unsweetened applesauce Non-starchy fresh or canned vegetables like carrots, spinach, or tomatoes Whole grains or darker grains like whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole wheat bread High-fiber cereals like Shredded Wheat or All Bran. Try to have a cereal that has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Sprinkle ¼ cup of bran cereal or unprocessed bran on a low-fiber cereal to increase the fiber Sugar-free drinks like water, diet soda, flavored water, and seltzer water Sugar-free foods like sugarfree gelatin, popsicles, yogurt, and pudding page 1

Do I need to buy special foods? You definitely don t need to go out of your way to buy special foods! Just like with any healthy diet plan, your meals should include mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Most foods fit into a healthy diet for PCOS, but you should read food labels to help you pick the best choices. As you choose foods, consider these tips: Look for high-fiber grains rather than lowfiber grains. That means whole wheat bread instead of white bread, for example, and brown rice instead of white rice. Don t be fooled by fat-free treats. They usually have a lot of added sugar. Look for brands that have the least amount of sugar and the most fiber. Be careful when picking sugar-free foods. Some sugar-free foods (like baked goods) can raise your insulin levels because they have other high carbohydrate ingredients like white flour. Other sugar-free foods have no effect on insulin because they are also carbohydrate-free. These foods (diet soda, sugar-free drinks, and sugar-free popsicles) make great additions to a PCOS diet. Choose vegetables and fruits! They are high in fiber and packed with vitamins and minerals. What about non-carbohydrate foods like fats and proteins? Non-carbohydrate foods include protein foods like meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, peanut butter, and vegetarian meat substitutes. They also include fats like oil, butter, cream cheese, and salad dressing. Combining foods that contain protein or fat with a carbohydrate will help keep insulin levels down. For example, instead of having bread by itself, have it together with some peanut butter or hummus. Keep in mind that some fats are much healthier than others. Healthy fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados, and fish. Choose healthy fats and proteins over butter, margarine, mayonnaise, full-fat cheese, and red meat. Do I need to follow a diet that is extra high in protein? No. Really high protein diets are not good diet options for teens because they can be low in some important nutrients such as fiber, the B vitamins, and vitamin C. It is also important to remember that even if you limit your carbohydrate intake, overeating fat or protein can cause weight gain. You should aim for a diet that has some protein, carbohydrate, and fat. If I choose the right foods, do I need to worry about my portion sizes? Yes! How much you eat has a big effect on your insulin level. This means it is usually better to have small meals and snacks during the day than it is to have 3 large meals. If you have more questions about PCOS and nutrition, ask your doctor about talking to a nutritionist who has experience in working with teens with PCOS. Stay positive! It can take time to lose weight. Remember that taking care of yourself by eating right is a huge success even if you don t see a big change in your weight. Staying Fit with PCOS Exercise can be a great help if you have PCOS. Young women with PCOS often have high levels of the hormone insulin. Having high levels of insulin tells your body to store fat and may contribute to PCOS symptoms. But exercise can lower your levels of insulin. Any increase in exercise helps, so find an activity, sport, or exercise that you like. Exercise can be especially helpful in bringing down insulin after a meal. Regular exercise can also help improve your mood and boost your energy. If you aren t exercising a lot now, build up slowly. Work toward exercising for 60 minutes every day. Making exercise fun is the key to keeping it an ongoing part of your life. This guide includes 3 worksheets to help you figure out which types of exercise you ll enjoy most and how to get started with them. Get ready, get set, and go with these 3 steps: 1. Complete Worksheet 1: Focus on Fitness to figure out what goals can motivate you, what activities you ll enjoy, and how to free up time for fitness. 2. After deciding what will motivate you, go to Worksheet 2: Fun Fitness to pick from a list of activities. 3. When you ve chosen your activities, fill in Worksheet 3: Fitness Planner to put exercise into your weekly routine. page 2

Worksheet 1: Focus on Fitness My Fitness Motivators and Health Benefits What makes you want to exercise? Check off and write in your top motivators and benefits. Have more energy Release stress from my body Develop a healthier and stronger heart Manage my weight Improve my PCOS symptoms My Everyday Activities You can move your body more by changing some everyday activities. Check off and list some ways you can get more active. Walk instead of taking the bus Take the stairs instead of the elevator Clean my room with extra zing! My Physical Activities If you like riding your bike or playing a sport, you can exercise and have fun. Think about what you might enjoy that burns some energy and gets your heart going. Ride my bike instead of getting a ride Dance to my favorite tunes My Time to Get Fit You ll need to make room for exercise in your busy schedule. Think about where you can fit in a few extra workouts. Check off or list some strategies that will help you make time for fitness. Mark work-out dates on my calendar Mix social time & fitness: Exercise with a friend Add one more workout per week Cut down TV and Internet time My Fitness Goals: Having clear goals can be a great motivator and help keep you focused. Check off or write in your top 3 fitness goals for the next month. Learn a new sport Try a new dance or aerobics class Use the Fun Fitness program in this guide Try an exercise DVD Join a sports team Start a walking club with friends Be outside and get fresh air Good job! You ve finished your worksheet! Now you re on your way to getting started with your new fitness program. Keep this sheet where you can see it every day to help you stay focused on your goals. Now it s time to pick exercises from the Fun Fitness program. page 3

Worksheet 2: Fun Fitness Our Fun Fitness program is designed to get you going in 3 different areas of fitness. Stretch It exercises keep you flexible and relaxed, and can help prevent injuries, like pulling a muscle. Move It has aerobic activities to help keep your heart strong and manage your insulin levels and your weight. Tone It has strength exercises to build strong and active muscles and increase your metabolism, so your body does a better job burning food for energy. Take a look at the exercises from each of the Fun Fitness sections. Check off the ones you want to try, and use the extra lines to fill in others you d like to do. Remember to pick activities that are safe and within your fitness level. If you don t know how to do some of these exercises, try taking a class, borrowing a DVD or book from your library, or getting instructions online. Be sure to choose items from each column for a balanced workout. Upper Body Biceps Triceps Chest Upper Back Stretch It Move It Tone It Cross Shoulder Middle Body Back Abdominal Waist Reach Lower Body Hamstring Inner Thigh Outer Thigh Quadriceps Lunge Hiking Biking Power Walking (walking at a faster than normal pace, but not quite a running speed) Jumping Rope Dancing Soccer Aerobics Class Tennis Field Hockey Kick Boxing Kick Ball Running Track Volleyball Basketball Skiing Ice Hockey Ice Skating Step Aerobics Yoga Pilates Upper Body Overhead Shoulder Press Chest Press Bent Knee Push Up Biceps Curl Triceps Extension Middle Body Sit Up Isometric Sit Up Side Twist Sit Up Front Arm Raise Lower Body Inner Thigh Lift Outer Thigh Lift Power Lift Kick Squat Calf Lift Great! You ve hand-picked the exercises you d like to try. The last step toward getting your fitness program going is to add these activities into your weekly calendar. page 4

Worksheet 3: Fitness Planner In order to really do the activities you ve chosen, you have to make time for them. This worksheet will help you plan your fitness schedule so exercising becomes part of your weekly routine. Look back at your completed Fun Fitness worksheet and copy your fitness items into the calendar below. Think about which activities will work best on which days and what are good times for the different activities. Make sure to have a balanced mix of stretching, moving, and toning. You don t have to do all 3 in one day, but schedule your week so you re not doing only one type of exercise. After you ve created your fitness schedule on this worksheet, it s a good idea to mark the days that you plan to exercise on your own calendar or planner. Put this worksheet someplace where you ll see it to remind you of what s coming up. Day, Date, and Time Sunday Activity Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Congratulations! You thought about what motivates you. You ve selected different fitness activities, and you ve planned your exercise goals. By completing these 3 worksheets, you ve taken a big step toward becoming healthier and fit. Be proud of yourself, and keep up the good work! Visit http://www.girlshealth.gov for more information on fitness, dealing with stress, and building a healthy future! U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women s Health Last updated March 2009 page 5